Networking

Metrology
of carbohydrates for enabling european bioindustries (CarboMet) - A
Horizon 2020FET Open Coordination & Support Action 2017-2021

The
Carbohydrate Chemistry Group Leader participated in the implementation
of CarboMet and continues collaborating to engage bodies and
programs in the European Commission identified by CarboMet for future
developments.

Euroglycoforum

The
Carbohydrate Chemistry Group offers its facilities and expertise as a
Centre of Excellence of Euroglycosciences Forum (Euroglycoforum,
partner 40), which was approved for 2014-2009 by the ESF - Research
Networking Programme.

Since 2013, the Group leader is a member of the COST
Action CM1102 and networking has been established with other members,
resulting in expert exchanges and students/expert participation in COST
meetings.

The Carbohydrate Chemistry Group (CCG), commissioned
by its leader, had the initiative to reply to the invitation of
commitments launched by the EU in 2012 with the INOVAFUNAGEING
commitment, based on the Group research, networking and initiatives
proposed for EIP AHA Action Group A3 which is dedicated to the
prevention and early diagnosis of frailty and functional decline, both
physical and cognitive, in older people, for the period of 2012-2015.
This FC-UL commitment was approved and the CCG leader was invited to
EIP AHA A3 membership and participation in the implementation of its
Action Plan (http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/pdf/active-healthy-ageing/a3_action_plan.pdf),
that also comprises the activities and deliverables proposed in
INOVAFUNAGEING commitment. The CCG collaborations generated the first
EIP AHA FC-UL consortium, which was broadened to 30 institutions by the
EU second call of commitments in 2013. Within EIP AHA A3 activities to
be accomplished by the more than 70 consortia and institutions
representing academia, companies and stakeholders, the Carbohydrate
Chemistry Group has focused its activities and research to respond to
the societal challenges related to a Healthy Ageing.

Sharing the objectives on enhancing the independence
of older people to have a healthy life (Action Plan, objective 2), on
contributing to research on healthy ageing and to knowledge generation
concerning the mechanisms for ageing and the progression of frailty
(Action plan, objective 5) and promoting cross-sector international
cooperation between academia and companies, to support competitive
translational research and development (Action plan, objective 7), the
Carbohydrate Chemistry Group activities and deliverables are included
in the following areas:

⇒ Research into the understanding of the mechanisms of frailty
and ageing under the point of view of chemistry and biochemistry

⇒ Research on novel high-added products from biomass

The outcome of the Carbohydrate Chemistry Group work in the areas
related to ageing for the period of 2012-2014, sometimes developed in
collaboration with other CQB groups, and/or with EIP-AHA A3 partners,
is summarized as follows:

i. 20 publications in peer review journals with contributions
relevant to the areas of neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, cancer
and infection

ii. Approval of two European projects for translational research and development

iii. Co-coordination of an elearning post-graduation course on glycosciences focusing on diseases relevant for ageing

iv. Education of Master and Ph.D. students with projects in related topics

v. Outreach activities, with the initiative for the implementation
of an interactive website aiming to educate the general public

vi. Elaboration of Good Practices with two programs, one for nutrition and one for cognitive decline.

Implementation of the Innovation Partnership on the Valorization of Natural Resources of the Portuguese Speaking Countries

Based on the successful networking experienced in
EIP AHA A3 Group, and on the research developed for the valorization of
natural resources, in particular with medicinal plants, we took the
initiative to propose and coordinate a Round Table at the Meeting of
the Association of the Portuguese Speaking Universities (AULP) in Macau
in 2014 to discuss how to launch an Innovation Partnership on the Valorization of Natural Resources of the Portuguese Speaking Countries.
The endemic medicinal plants to Portuguese speaking countries in
Africa, South America and Asia, and also in Europe, have not been
exhaustively exploited in terms of translational research, offering
unique opportunities for innovation from a scientific and a business
perspective. The final decision of signing a memorandum for the
preparation of the final protocol to be signed for the constitution of
the Innovation Partnership on the Valorization of Natural Resources of the Portuguese Speaking Countries was taken on the 19th of September 2014, at this Round Table,
with the participation of Universities and Institutions from Angola,
Brazil, Cape Verde, Macau, Mozambique, and S. Tomé e
Príncipe.

Implementation of the Consortium Lisbon Living +

The initiative to create a Consortium for the
application to the call launched by the European Innovation Institute
of Technology (EIT) for a Knowledge Innovation Community in Healthy
Life and Active Ageing resulted from the activities and networking at
the EIP AHA A3 meetings and was encouraged by the call launched by FCT
for the purpose. In direct collaboration and also supported by FCUL
Direction and UL Rectorate, the Group leader promoted meetings with the
EIP AHA partners, and with companies and stakeholders, and coordinated
the actions that culminated with the submission of the project
EIT-KIC/IVE/0051/2013, approved by FCT, and with the formation of the
consortium LisbonLiving+. The CCG leader also participated in the
consolidation of LisbonLiving+ as a member of its Executive Committee
and as a representative member of FCUL Direction, until September 2014,
when a new Executive Committee was formed with representatives of the
Associate members of the application submitted to EIT for a Knowledge
Innovation Community in Healthy Life and Active Ageing.

Research Network (BC/FCT)

Membership
at the research network entitled “Valuation of Portuguese Salvia
species in terms of food quality and funcional food production”,
approved by The British Council Convenium/Fundação para a
Ciência e Tecnologia with The University of Sheffield, 2008-2009
(group leader).